Monday night after a rather tasty BBQ the TSOGgers adjourned to a pleasant evening of wargaming! We played Game 2 of our new Longstreet Grand Campaign! The player line up was as per our first game and everyone was fired up and ready for a tough fight!
Entrenched, Colonel Clampett's 'Boys' prepare to receive the Yankees, who were the Zouaves of Colonel Zook!
Scenario; The Hilltops
The CSA Won the Scouting Roll and elected to defend
Extra CSA Terrain 1 x Swamp, 1 x Rough Ground
Extra USA Terrain 1 x Rough Ground, 3 x Woods
Attackers George and Pete
Spalding Character Trait: Friend in the State House
Defenders Dave and Maurice
Driftwood Character Trait: Fire & Brimstone Preacher
The AAR
The Union Army of the Potomac pushed south into Confederate territory in 1862 and Brigadier General Spalding’s Brigade was in the vanguard! His orders included securing a pair strategically important hilltops known by the locals as the Twin Peaks.
Spalding reconnoitred the Rebel positions and decided on a massive attack using his right wing while his cavalry pinned the rest of the Rebel force in place, he was convinced this would see a quick victory, orders were dispatched and the attack began. Confederate General Driftwood was quick to see the Yankees intent and acted promptly redeploying his Regiments, he also sent a message to Colonel Clampett’s Regiment entrenched on the smaller of the Twin Peaks to hold at all costs and await reinforcements!
Initially the Federal Regiments moved as ordered making good ground and the Confederate right was successfully pinned as they hoped by the Cavalry, but and the Rebel artillery and reserve cavalry did moved to face their advance and assist Colonel Clampett’s men.
It wasn’t long before the Yankee right hook lost all co-ordination, the main columns experienced unexpectedly poor terrain that slowed them while lost orders and rivalries between Officers led to two uncoordinated (and unsuccessful) charges on Colonel Clampett’s stout Confederate Boys! After these events Colonel Zook his Regiment broken and looking dishevelled was heard to comment, "Those damn Rebs they're immovable just like a stonewall!"
The situation was now looking worse for Colonel Spalding and his Yankees but even though the Confederate Brigade had redeployed to face his main attack Spalding continued with his original plan and launched a second charge! This onslaught failed too and under heavy Rebel fire the defeated Federal Regiments broke and Spalding's entire Brigade retired leaving the Rebels in command of the crucial high ground.
A stunning victory to Driftwood's Southerners! They had inflicted heavy losses on the Federals and beat them back decisively! A defiant Rebel Yell echoed across the battlefield!
Some pictures of the action!
The initial Yankee deployment looked promising! Four Infantry Regiments with artillery support facing a single Confederate Regiment!
The best Confederate Unit was on the wrong flank so unable to face the main Union force, in the distance behind the trees the Yankee cavalry can be seen.
The Yankee artillery target Clampett's Regiment as the infantry march past them, unfortunately the guns did little damage!
The Union columns knew there was rough ground before them but the swampy terrain behind that was a surprise and this was to cost them dearly!
Rebel Colonel Clampett ordered his men to 'dig in' on their high ground as the Bluebellies deployed before them!
The Yankee Cavalry launch their own flank attack!
Colonel Spalding's grand attack unfolding...
The first Union charge on the smaller of the Twin Peaks hill failed as one Regiment failed to get its orders in time and the other attacking alone was easily repulsed by the Southerners!
The shattered Pennsylvanian Zouave Regiment (at the bottom of the hill to the right) retires after getting no support during its charge taking heavy losses!
The Yankee Cavalry's grand ride continues!
After the Yankees initial charges against the Rebel hilltop position failed they prepared to advance again but now that Confederate reinforcements had arrived to cover the rear of the hill and any chance of a breakthrough had all but evaporated!
The Union Cavalry continued to play cat and mouse with Rebel Infantry they faced.
Colonel Clampett's Regiment continue to hold their hilltop position despite being changed twice, bombarded and fired on! To the rear of the hill the Yankees form up to advance again all the while taking casualties from fire!
The Confederate Right wing was tied down successfully by the Union horsemen but it was of little significance in the final result!
The Yankees second large charge was a gamble which they lost, here you can see them attacking with inferior numbers against defenders supported by artillery! Still it looked good for the Northern Reporters!
Well a decisive victory to the Confederates losing only five bases to the Federals seventeen! Dave's skilful interrupt card play really ran the Union attack off the rails initially and with the Rebels reserves redeployed the Yankees were never able to recover! Still the Yankees managed to coordinate a couple of very large (albeit unsuccessful) charges giving them a slight edge in epic Points in the end. Also the Union's heavy losses and a rather lack lustre post game 'process' will make game three in the Grand Campaign interesting! They will start it with four Regiments of four or less bases, a rather fragile force! The Confederates will have a more compact yet intrinsically stronger group of Regiments! Stay tuned for the next game!
Post Game process was completed and the below resulted.
USA Epic Points 6
CSA Epic Points 5
BG Spalding Promoted
BG Driftwood Promoted
New OOBs for Game Three
A lovely sized game that packed a lot of narrative. That would be an interesting situation to apply to other rulesets. The ‘swampy ground being a surprise’, was that an unknown element thrown into the game, like a random event?
ReplyDeleteHey Norm, thanks!
DeleteThe Longstreet Campaign Game force rosters do allow for quite good size games, not too small not too large! The swampy ground was a result of one of the Longstreet event cards, a lot of people don’t like that particular card but each to their own when it comes to wargame Rules we’re playing this Campaign with Rules as strictly written.
Great looking game. Bad luck for the Union. Luckily for them Col Sanders was not commanding the Kentucky forces or the Union goose would have really been cooked. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Ben!
DeleteYes the good Colonel is sure to make an appearance in the Confederate OOB before the Campaign is done...
😃